Page 21 of Luna Cursed

Thunder boomed overhead loud enough to rattle the trees and knock some sense into Ciara, making her aware of her surroundings. They were soaked, their breath pluming in heavy mist as the temperature dropped.

"We need to get out of here," Tor said.

"I know a place we can stay for the night if they have the room," Ciara replied. They were both wide-eyed and staring at each other. She swallowed hard. "Um, maybe you should put me down?"

Tor's grip tightened like he would argue, but he shook himself and lowered her to her feet. "I…"

"Don't. Let's just go," Ciara said quickly and almost ran back through the trees. Her skin felt too tight, and the cold rain wasn't helping relieve the heat burning through her. The kiss had stopped their fighting, but she was suddenly worried that it had awoken something far worse in its place.

11

Tor didn't argue when Ciara got into the driver's seat. He was covered in mud, and his jeans were utterly ruined. He should have had more control or had enough sense to strip before the shift. He had smelled Linnea after so long, and he hadn't even thought about what he was barrelling into. The camp was abandoned, but if it hadn't been, he would have walked into every damn trap that Varg had left behind.

Varg was gone. Linnea was gone. Everything had smelled of blood and darkness and magic, and he had nothing to take his frustration out on. He hadn't been able to save Linnea; he hadn't been able to find her, and now she was gone again.

He had wanted to provoke Ciara to hit him, so he could feel anything but the total helplessness and failure that was eating away at him. He hadn't expected her to kiss him, especially not like that. It was like she was poisoned, and his tongue was the antidote. It had been desperate and hot and had ripped all his anger out of him and replaced it with horrible, gnawing desire.

He wanted her. It wasn't news to him. He had wanted her since the fight with Morrigan. He had wanted her at every encounter since. He had gotten really good at convincing himself that he didn't. Finally, tasting her skin in Svartalfheim had been the last nail in his coffin. Whateverthathad been in the rain was the equivalent of throwing said coffin into the sea. Now, all he could do was drown.

Ciara didn't say a word until they pulled up in front of a quaint-looking red and white painted bed and breakfast, the kind that sent tourists giddy with Instagram opportunities.

"Stay here," she said and got out of the car without looking at him. Like he was going to go anywhere in half a pair of muddy jeans, the wolf inside of him raging. He watched her disappear inside and his wolf scratched in his chest when he could no longer see her.

"No, no, no," Tor growled and tried to breathe in and out, pushing his wolf side down so that it didn't force him to go after her.

Ciara appeared again minutes later. "We are in luck. They had a cancellation at the last minute," she said and slowly drove down to a small red cabin.

Tor all but jumped out of the car, grabbing their bags from the back and following her inside. It was a tiny one-room space with one large double bed, a bathroom, and a kitchenette for making coffee. One bed. Looks like he was getting the floor again.

"Going for a shower," he said and locked himself in the bathroom. He heard Ciara sigh, but he turned the taps on in the shower, so he didn't hear anymore. He was losing his goddamn mind. He needed to get himself together.

Tor stripped off what was left of his ruined jeans and climbed under the hot, steaming water. He leaned his forehead against the cold tiles and let the mud and leaf litter wash off him. He could still smell apple blossoms and arousal in his nose, the scent imprinted on his mind.

Fuck, he had to stop this. He would never have her, and if he could, he would never keep her. Ciara had been clear on what she thought of wolves and was keen to have the bond gone. Tor was soaping down when he felt the pull in his chest that told him she had left.

Just like they always do. Tor gritted his teeth. No, he was just feeling emotional and irrational now. He wrapped his arms around himself and squeezed tight, fighting the urge to go after her. When it calmed, he tipped some shampoo into his hand and washed his long hair. It didn't matter that Ciara left. At this point, it would be better for his emotional and mental health if she did.

The memory of arousal and apple blossoms hit his senses again, and he groaned. His hand was on his dick before he could think too much about it. He just needed to get off, and he wouldn't think about her lithe body wrapped around him, her nipples going hard under the wet fabric of her shirt. Her lips had been so soft and eager and perfect. She had been as desperate for him as he had been for her.

Tor had wanted to strip her and fuck her like an animal right on the forest floor, hold her down, and sink his teeth into her soft skin. His orgasm punched through him, quick and hot enough to make him stagger and grip the tiled walls for balance.

"Fuck," he moaned under his breath. When his heartbeat evened out, he could feel that some of his spiky edges had softened. Thank fuck. He might be able to control himself to think straight.

Varg and his cultists had moved, but they had at least identified without question that he was searching Odin sites. With any luck, Von would find something they could follow up on. Ciara had found Linnea once, and he was sure they could do it again. That was if he could keep his shit together around her.

Tor got out of the shower, dried himself off, and tied a towel around his waist. He was hunting through his duffel of clothes when the door opened, and Ciara returned, carrying a plastic shopping bag.

"I thought you'd left," he blurted out before he could check himself. Ciara put the bag down on the small table.

"I went to get you some food in case you needed it after the shift. Good to know you think I'm going to run off any chance I get," she said testily. Her eyes dropped to the towel around his waist and darkened. Tor was getting hard again and was back to the raging beast in seconds.

"Stop staring at me, bunny, or I'm going to think you want something," he growled.

"If you don't want me staring, maybe you should put some pants on," she snapped, her cheeks flushing.

Tor put his hands on his hips. "What if I don't want to? What are you going to do about it, Wolf Slayer?" he said, his voice dropping.

Ciara snarled wordlessly at him, throwing down a challenge like she had the day before. Oh no, she didn't. Tor was not putting up with that shit. Not again.

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